RubberDucks slip past Baysox in home series

BOWIE – The Bowie Baysox were undoubtedly happy to see the Akron RubberDucks leave town on May 6.

That is because Akron swept a four-game series from Bowie, concluding it with a 4-1 victory on May 6. It is the first time that Bowie has been swept in a four-game series played at Prince George’s Stadium since Erie did it Aug. 23-25, 2007.

However, Bowie’s luck against Akron just has not been very good all year.

The Baysox now have lost eight straight games against the RubberDucks and are 2-8 against them in 2018. After the series finale loss, Bowie stood at 13-15 while Akron was 18-11.

Bowie actually took the lead in the second inning after Austin Hays reached on a throwing error that let him get to second. He later scored on a D’Arby Myers fielder’s choice.

After the Baysox took that 1-0 lead, it was all Akron. The RubberDucks scored in the third, fourth, sixth and eighth for the 4-1 final.

Hays provided one bright shining moment with his fourth-inning infield single that gave him a season-best seven-game hitting streak.

The night before, the RubberDucks used the long ball to sink the Baysox. Bowie had tied the game in the sixth inning at 2-2.

Cedric Mullins, who had homered earlier, got on thanks to a bunt single, went to second on a grounder and scored on a Corban Joseph two-out single. That locked up the game at 2-2.

However, Akron quickly answered in the top of the seventh. Connor Marabell hit a lead-off homer in the seventh, and Dorssys Paulino later added another solo shot for the 4-2 lead, and that was the final score.

Bowie starter John Means (0-4) earned the loss. Akron took all of the suspense out of the May 4 game on with an eight-run first inning that helped the RubberDucks roll to an 18-2 rout of the Baysox.

Daniel Salters got a two-run double, and Ka’ai Tom added a two-run homer. Tom actually reached twice in the inning, walking to start the game before homering later.

Bowie starter Michael Kelly (0-2) lasted just two-thirds of an inning and gave up six runs on three hits.

Aderlin Rodriguez (RBI groundout) and Hays (homer) drove in the only two Bowie runs.

Salters later added a three-run homer for Akron and finished with five RBI even though he was batting at the bottom of the order.

The RubberDucks started the season with a shutout, blanking Bowie 15-0 on May 3. Strangely, the Baysox finished with 11 hits and came up with several scoring chances, but they could not come through when needed.

Bowie ended up stranding 12 and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Every batter in the starting lineup posted at least one hit but the Baysox simply could not score a run.

Hunter Harvey (0-1) got the loss, allowing four runs in four innings. Akron scored in six of the nine frames and finished with 18 hits, something that proved too much for Bowie to overcome.